This is an idea, reported in the Surrey Comet, to erect a monument to the history of aerospace in Kingston. Whilst I think this is a very good idea, because it is a very proud part of our history, I must admit to being very worried about the design of this monument. Whilst the drawing is only an artists impression I m not sure it does it for me, particularly as it does not look like any plane I recognise as having been built at BA in Kingston. My recollection is that the Harrier and Spitfire were built there, although I will admit I cannot really remember.I also wonder whether this is the correct location. Unless soemthing happened in this area I am not aware of surely the monument would be better placed on the Richmond Road entrance to Kingston. My reason for this is that the factory used to be on the Richmond Road, opposite Tiffin Girl's. Maybe it is an unimportant point but it is still worth a thought.
19 comments:
For your information Kevin, the original Hawker Siddeley factory
(from which BAE was later born)WAS located nearer Kingston than the more recent BAE site in Richmond Road that you remember. The spitfires were originally built in Canbury Park Road and then production moved to the new larger site on the Kingston/Ham border.
The proposed location is therefore not as inappropriate as you think - it is designed to be seen by as many people as possible and will include lecturns depicting the full story and locations of all the areas in the borough that were involved in aviation production.
Perhaps had the stately facade of the original building (similar to Bentalls) had not been demolished as part of the new housing estate, there would have been the space to have more fittingly displayed the monument.
Thanks for this help and I believe I do recall something about the Canbury site. In that context maybe this is the best site. I am however still a little worried about the design but maybe that has not yet been completed.
Agree with your view about the Aston Webb (?) facade of the old factory. It did seem a shame to pull it down and I suppose there was concern about what you could have done with it.
Spitfires have nothing to do with Kingston.
Hawker's built the Hurricane (on Richmond Road) - where the ahem Hawker Centre is.
The original aeroplane factory was Sopwith's in Canbury (now called Sigrist Square). They built the the WW1 Camel fighter plane. Sigrist was Tommy Sopwith's chief designer. That building (which is of almost no architechtural merit) was listed and survived - Hawker's on Richmond Road was of considerable merit, but wasn't listed by the quango English Heritage.
Anyway - for someone who has lived in Kingston all their life you seem to know very little about our town's heritage.
The Hawker building was indeed of considerable merit. It was a landmark that stood at the beginning of Kingston from Richmond and was another piece of brilliant architecture where form did not follow function - something altogether devoid in souless modern buildings. Whilst it appeared to be a stately government building, it actually was constructed with steel girders and concrete on the first floor to support the factory production behind the facade. The rest of the site was a mish-mash of functional buildings including workshops that used to glue the wings together!
The loss of so many jobs from the borough was regretful but there was no reason why the main building could not have been converted either into offices or apartments. Alas Kevin, your Conservative colleagues did not move quick enough to put the case to English Heritage or to convince BAE.
Obviously I was not on the Council at the time of the demise of the factory - I think it was 1990. I am not even sure who was running the Council then because my recollection is that there was no overall control and that some of the time it was Lib Dem controlled.
But that's not the point, whoever was in control it was a shame that we lost the building. I am not sure what we could have done with it but it was part of the history of the town and should have been saved.
Sorry to correct you Kevin, it was in fact 1998 when you were first elected but the point is that none of your Conservative colleagues (who were in control of the actual ward) did anything to stop its demolition and, worse still, allowed such rubbish to be built in its place.
I think you will find that Bae closed in 1990. Supposedly planning matters are not political, as that is the law. That aside I have said I think it was a mistake.
Was it a mistake also Kevin for the Tories to have allowed such an ugly John Lewis building (albeit the company are 1st class) to be built which will now form the backdrop of the proposed monument?
In contrast, wasn't it the Liberals who paved the way for the Surbiton Waitrose - a remarkable building on an awkward site that has really added a new dimension to the town?
I agree, planning shouldn't be political but it does seem there are some notable differences in the parties when it comes to approving good development in the borough.
No idea about Waitrose.
I am afraid that whether or not the building looks good or looks ugly is not a reason to turn the application down. You have to find another reason. Totally mad but that is the system.
In any case I am not one of those who believe that John Lewis is a bad building. Any building that has a four lane carriageway going through the middle is going to have restrictions. The ugliest building in Kingston I am afraid goes to Kingston College with Combined House near the cattle market a close second.
Tower Bridge also has 4 lanes going through it so why didn't Kingston get something more imaginative than the John Lewis building? Was it that the planning department in Kingston was (and still is) too weak to get anything better from the developer or is it that Councillors are too impotent to demand the same?
I don't think it was said that John Lewis was the worst building in the borough - only that it could have been a lot better if the Council and Councillors had made a big enough fuss. Design IS a material consideration - especially as the site is in such close proximity to two listed constructions - the bridge and the church - besides being the gateway to the town centre.
It is too late now to do anything about the this appalling building but clearly no lessons were learnt from Kingston College and Combined House.
Not sure it was said that John Lewis was the ugliest building but that the Council and Councllors could have done better if they had shouted loud enough.
Design IS a material consideration - especially as the site is in close proximity to two listed buildings - the church and the bridge. However, in this case, no lessons were learnt from past mistakes - Kingston College and Combined House.
"no idea aout Waitrose"?
You were a Surbiton Councillor weren't you and did you not preside on the Surbiton Neighbourhood Committee when it was being built? Have you never been there Kevin or have you never taken any notice of its design when you have shopped with your family in Surbiton?
Tower Bridge? The similarity is what?
I do believe that Kingston Council has historically spent too much time waiting for developments to come to them rather than going out to get the best for the town. I fear the the Hammersons development might suffer the same fate unless Councillors are strong to resist it.
Anon 7.55
Waitrose application was approved in April 1997, a full year before I was elected.
I shop there every week and I consider the design innoffensive and of no real merit. In fact is is typical of the JL Partnership - understated!
I think the Council and Councillors are too weak to demand better from developers and too muted to complain when they don't. Too many times they give in to residents' unfounded fears at the expense of innovation, progress and imagination. Delays cost developers dearly and the longer this goes on, the less the developer is likely to want to budge or compromise. Far better to make the decisions locally then let an inspector from Bristol decide our fate.
But of course, if the Inspector from Bristol makes an unpopular planning decision, the Councillors can then claim it wasn't them. Call me cynical or what?
I consider the Waitrose in Surbiton very well thought out and the best use of a difficult site.
The building pays due respect to its surroundings and the history of the site - the front entrance echoes the frontage of the original Odeon building, the sweeping glass side compliments the Nuffield Hospital offices and the plain rear wall shows off the Surbiton Club with a plain backdrop. Below ground, they have managed to fit a 100 ton turntable to allow their articulated lorries to turnaround and it is quite impressive that they have up to 12 deliveries a day without disruption to traffic flows. Not to mention the continued provision of a public car park.
Compare that to the Sainsbury's/YMCA building - absolute rubbish.
Post a Comment